Peterson: Iowa State men's basketball holds on vs. Texas, earns Big 12 split on the road

AUSTIN, Texas – Sure, Iowa State wanted to sweep this Texas two-step of a road trip. But in the grand scheme of things, in what’s widely considered the nation’s best conference, getting a split away from home isn’t bad.

After losing at Baylor on Saturday night when Milan Momcilovic’s three-point basket came just a hair after the game clock expired, coach T.J. Otzelberger’s team was the aggressor on both sides of the court during a 70-65 victory Tuesday night against Texas in the Longhorns’ Moody Center.

And just like that, the Cyclones (17-5, 6-3 Big 12) are back in the thick of the conference regular-season title conversation.

“We knew how tough, how physical they would be,” Otzelberger said. “I’m really proud of our guys for staying the course and finding the way against a really tough team.”

An impressive start. Then a nice recovery after a sluggish second-half opening. Hold on during hold-your-breath finishes. That's how you win on the road.

“Coming out after the Baylor game – a tough game over there -- we wanted to bounce back right away, and take our aggression out on the next team, and the next team ended up being Texas," Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey said. "We came in here with the mentality that we were going to win the game right from the start, from the jump. We set the tone right away."

Momcilovic’s step-back shot was mostly unguardable (13 points). Jackson Paveletzke had solid minutes after springing from the bench to provide a spark (six points in nine minutes). Iowa State withstood Texas' frantic comeback attempt, which everyone knew was coming.

Lipsey finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Cyclones handled the Longhorns (15-8, 4-6) throughout most of the game.

"We had to be the aggressor," Momcilovic said. "We knew we had to be aggressive from start to finish. That's how you win on the road."

Iowa State led by double digits for a long time, including by 18 with 14:47 to play, but you knew Texas wasn’t out of the game. The Longhorns closed to within eight points with 6:20 to play. The crowd was into the game.

The fans especially got loud after a Texas 3-pointer made it a five-point game with 3:37 to play. Iowa State called time out. It was more to calm Texas' momentum than anything. Life on the road isn't like playing at Hilton Coliseum, where Iowa State hosts TCU at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Momcilovic missed a 3-point shot. Texas made two free throws. The Cyclones’ lead dwindled to 62-59 with 2:59 remaining.

Momcilovic was fouled while shooting with 2:35 to play. The freshman made one of his two free throws, and Iowa State led by four. Still, the game was far from over.

"That's life in our conference," Texas coach Rodney Terry said. "Games are going to be close. Give Iowa State credit. They played outstanding defense, like they always do. That's the No. 1 defense in the nation, in my mind."

Yes, Iowa State's defense came through again, poking a pass from former Cyclone Tyrese Hunter away, and Lipsey responded with a three-pointer. (Hunter had a rough shooting night, missing all eight of his shots, but he did have seven assists.)

Even with 5.7 seconds to play, the outcome wasn't assured until Curtis Jones made two free throws.

Yeah, this 14th-ranked Cyclones team is pretty good, and at times very good. Like Tuesday, when Iowa State made eight of its first 15 shots while an always-tough defense forced Texas into 3-of-14 shooting to start the game.

The Cyclones led 18-6, Longhorns fans showed their displeasure, and Terry even received a technical foul for being too far out of the coaches’ sideline area.

Of late, that’s been a focus as the referees try to regain control of sideline antics that sometimes have gone way over the line.

Both teams finished with poor shooting numbers (41% apiece). Turnovers were a big factor, Iowa State forcing 14 and committing only eight, leading to a 18-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

Again, torrid early-game shooting (ISU shot 52% before halftime) and suffocating defense throughout – that’s the way to win on the road.

And now it's back to Hilton Coliseum, where the Cyclones have been unbeatable at home this season (13-0).

"It's about taking every game like it’s the same, especially when some teams don’t come to Hilton," Lipsey said, referring to teams like Texas that don't travel to Ames this season. "You have to take advantage when you go down to their place."

Which Iowa State did Tuesday night.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 52nd year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball stays in Big 12 contention after split in Texas